The discussion will in part be built around two speeches selected by Paul Barclay: Nelson Mandela's 1964 courtroom 'I am not afraid to die' speech; and Atticus Finch's courtroom speech in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. A speech in the world, and a speech in fiction -- how do we judge the influence there?

In addition, Australia Talks will be giving listeners opportunities to talk about their unforgettable speeches, in a program that will range across the classical origins, political uses, and popular role of speeches. We'll begin with the origins -- from Aristotle and Demosthenes to Cicero -- and the role of oratory and persuasion in the classical tradition; move to the 20th century political life of the speech, and where it intersects with the 'moral capital' of the speaker; and on to the ongoing importance of the speech in popular culture.